In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, I, the inventor, typically hybridize a large number of peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of peach tree, which has been denominated varietally as ‘SUGARPEACH II’. The present variety was hybridized by me in 1997, grown as a seedling on its own root in my greenhouse, and transplanted to a cultivated area of my experimental orchard near Le Grand, Calif. in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley).
The variety was developed as a first generation cross using ‘Coral Princess’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,199) white flesh peach as the selected seed parent and an unnamed white flesh nectarine (unpatented) as the selected pollen parent. A single tree from the stated cross was selected as the claimed variety. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of nectarine tree, I asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting in the experimental orchard described above, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects. The reproduction of the variety included the use of ‘Nemaguard’ (unpatented) rootstock upon which the present variety was compatible and true to type.
The present variety is similar to its selected seed parent, ‘Coral Princess’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,199) white flesh peach, by producing fruit that matures in mid to late June and that is globose in shape, firm in texture, and sub-acid in flavor, but differs significantly therefrom by producing fruit that is yellow in flesh color instead of white, a darker and fuller red in skin color, and larger in size.
The present variety is similar to ‘Spring Candy’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,677) peach by producing peaches that are yellow with some red bleeding in flesh color, sub-acid in flavor, globose in shape, and firm in texture, but is distinguished therefrom by producing peaches that are significantly larger in size and that are clingstone rather than freestone.